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Tuesday, August 6, 2013

Summer Camp: Swimming & Puzzles

The two different tasks for each person in the relay race was a great idea because it allowed the less athletic campers to show their strengths. Unfortunately, that's not really how it played out, as the puzzles definitely caused the competitors more strife than the swim. The boys' team also losing twice in a row really levels the playing field and will force both teams to use more strategy going forward. Losing Justin, however, was a harsh call. Yes, he was terrible at putting together a puzzle, but he has also been Counselor twice, so the idea that his actions "from the beginning" were considered for his banishment is terrible. How many of the guys really think that there will be a second puzzle-type Color War, anyway? On the women's team, Melinda was able to prove that she brings a lot to the table, even if she is still a bystander during some of the social time. Of course, Rachel seeming to be the unofficial leader of the ladies anyway has been awkward, though Lauren and Cameron trying to piece together some strategy of their own really seemed to fail. The future Counselors should ignore any similar advice.

Remaining Campers:
Rachel - 27, Wrightsville Beach, NC, "The Yogi." She has been Counselor.
Michelle - 24, Lafayette, LA, "The Bayou Bodybuilder" (aka Hooters bartender).
Melinda - 26, Denver, "The Geek." She does cosplay, was bullied at camp
when she was younger, and is clumsy, especially for a professional
stuntwoman. She has been banished once already.
Lauren - 23, Woodbury, MN, "The Mean Girl." She plays men's hockey. She has been banished once already.
Brooke - 23, Salt Lake City, "The Model." She attended a Mormon summer camp growing up. She has been Counselor.
Isis - 33, Los Angeles, "The Pageant Queen," even if that was back in 2005. She has been Counselor.

Moises, 25, Miami, "The Firefighter."
Mikey B., 26, Middleton, NY, "The Smart Ass." He lost his virginity at a camp.
Cameron - 23, Florence, KY, "The Cowboy." He's a virgin.
Chuck - 25, Dubois, PA, The "Sci-Fi Nerd," who is also an Eagle Scout.
Chris - 25, Bronx. "The Class Clown" who teaches Special Ed and formerly attended Britney Spears' performing arts camp. He has been banished once already.
Kyle - 25, Prairie Village, KS. "The Broadway Performer." He has been Counselor.
Justin - 41, Coweta, OK, "The Hunter." He has been Counselor twice.

Summer Camp "Truth or Dare" (S01E04): The girls feel like the playing field has been flattened now that the guys know the pain of having to lose a teammate. The ladies think that Lauren would be a good Counselor because they need to mend fences with her, but the guys start to think that they should choose a Counselor based on who each would banish should they have to. [not a bad idea, but certainly not something that can be publicly discussed, and I think Chuck will get burned because of that.] (Casanova Cowboy) Cameron and Lauren are the Counselors, but there is some tension, especially from Melinda. The Counselors each get four passes to distribute for the newest social, around a campfire. Isis, Michelle, Melinda, and Rachel, plus Moises, Kyle, Chris, and Mikey B. get to attend while the others have to collect firewood as their chore. [I'd like to see what else that group does while the others are hanging out... are they forced to sit in solitude or what?] The campfire group chooses to play Truth or Dare, which has Cameron kissing Lauren and Moises kissing Rachel before they decide to ask Truths only, to better use the time. [good. I understand that everyone wants to embrace the games of summer camp youth, but acting like you're in high school is only interesting for so long...] Mikey B. says his three wishes would be to do charity work, find a wife, and have his mother back. [awww.] Kyle is asked about his confidence, and he shares that he had a rough time growing up with a lot of teasing. [I would have liked to hear about how his NFL family played into that...]

The Color War is a relay race for the body and mind: dive into the lake, swim to a dock, put together a puzzle, wave a flag, and then another teammate dives in from a farther point and does the same, only the puzzles get harder as well. [interesting dichotomy.] The guys need to choose one person to sit out, and they choose Chris, as he's a weak swimmer. [five minutes to strategize is a lot of time.] First up goes Isis (because she's a weak swimmer) and Cameron (to get a head start), and she's slow on the puzzle. However, it only gets worse when Kyle is slow on the puzzle, too, and Justin is terrible. By the time Michelle, the final female swimmer, jumps into the water, there are still three guys on the floating docks! Moises is after Justin, and he finishes quickly enough that Chuck is swimming toward the dock when Michelle completes her puzzle. [leaving Mikey B. to swim the final leg was probably a good idea, so it totally sucked that he didn't get a chance.]

Isabella Vosmikova/USA Network

Cameron has to choose two guys to "banish," and after some deliberation, he selects Chris, then Justin. [I was expecting Chris and Kyle, as the latter has been discussed before and is generally not as revered as Justin.] Chris tells the girls that the guys are setting him up to be banished every time. Justin talks about how arson ruined his family business and that he could really use the prize money. Plus, Isis mentions that Chris's attitude sucks. But, the vote is 5-0, sending Justin home. [this should make the future of the guys' conversations interesting, as I really saw him as a peacemaker.]